Colorado among top destinations for whitewater rafting. Here are 5 favorite spots

Colorado is among the country's top rafting destinations.

The state has roughly 20 whitewater rivers, and commercial rafting companies saw nearly 550,000 user days in 2022, according to the Colorado River Outfitters Association, which represents about 45 outfitters.

This rafting season looks to be a long, steady ride with all eight of Colorado's river basins having snowpack that exceeded 100% of average and a mild May that allowed for a slow snowpack release.

The Colorado rafting season generally runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day, with June producing bigger water that mellows as the season progresses.

Colorado also is home to two of the top 10 river rafting tours in the country, including No. 1 in Mild to Wild Rafting & Jeep Tours from Durango, named in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards this year.

More: Colorado tour companies earn top spots in USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards

Here is a look at five favorite rafting areas in Colorado:

For details about each and the commercial outfitters permitted to run them, visit the Colorado River Outfitters Association site.

Arkansas River ranks among best rafting rivers in the country

The Arkansas has it all, which is why it accounts for about half of all commercial rafting days in Colorado.

The main rafting area is located about three hours southwest of Denver.

The Browns Canyon and The Numbers sections offer some of Colorado's most thrilling rapids and stunning beauty.

The Browns Canyon section takes rafters through Browns Canyon National Monument's sheer cliffs between Salida and Buena Vista. The Numbers section includes a series of seven challenging and exhilarating Class III and IV rapids.

Bighorn Sheep Canyon and Royal Gorge stretches offer similar mixes of rapids and scenery.

Poudre River offers everything from rugged rapids to friendly floats

The Poudre River northwest of Fort Collins sees around 33,000 commercial rafting days a year. It also is enjoyed by many private rafters and kayakers.

It offers Class II to IV rapids and is located in the picturesque Poudre Canyon. The river is Colorado's first and only federally designated National Wild and Scenic River.

It's easily accessible from Fort Collins and Colorado Highway 14, which runs next to the river. Ample put-ins and take-outs are available along the highway.

Colorado River offers canyons, rapids and floats

The Colorado River is broken into two parts, the upper and lower sections. The two combined account for more than 100,000 commercial rafting days but are very different.

The upper section draws about two-thirds of those visitors enticed by big rapids, some reaching Class V, tucked in a 10-mile stretch of the remote Gore Canyon. This stretch is done out of Kremmling or State Bridge, about 100 miles west and north of Denver.

The Little Gore Canyon stretch southwest of Kremmling is much tamer while still offering that feeling of remoteness.

Rafting the river through 16-mile-long Glenwood Canyon offers a different experience. Rapids are plentiful and enjoyable but less challenging than the upper section and less remote, as Interstate 70 is your companion.

This is an excellent family-friendly stretch because of its rapids and access from tourist-friendly Glenwood Springs, which is about 157 miles west of Denver.

From our 2023 coverage: Here's how to stay safe rafting or tubing

Clear Creek rafting offers whitewater fun close to Denver

Clear Creek sees around 80,000 commercial rafting days per year.

The lower stretch is one of the most easily accessed from Denver, yet still offers plenty of scenery.

The Upper Clear Creek section near Bond is about 130 miles from Denver but offers more advanced rapids in a remote setting.

The lower Clear Creek section from Lawson to Idaho Springs is much tamer but with enough rapids action to keep things interesting and much closer to Denver, with Idaho Springs about 30 miles west on I-70.

Yampa/Green rivers offer the ultimate epic overnight rafting trip

These two rivers meet in the remote northwest corner of Colorado and make for an excellent multiday trip.

The free-flowing Yampa River runs west through Steamboat Springs and joins up with the Green River 50 miles downriver.

These rivers take you through the Gates of Lodore in Dinosaur National Monument and Desolation Canyon, finishing on the Green River in northern Utah. Along the way, you will see interesting geological formations, Native American rock carvings and sandy spots for overnight camping.

This section offers mostly Class II and IV rapids.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado whitewater rafting: 5 favorite spots